Now a little run-down on what he's been up to...
EATING
Ethan is still eating about every three hours during the day. He's a good eater and gets the job done in just less than a half hour. We've given him gas drops (simethicone) with each and every feeding since he was three days old. (He had stinky gas from birth and always a constant bubble to burp, which caused LOTS of screaming. Collin had the same problems, only it took us until he was a month old to discover that the drops helped. He started the drops immediately with Ethan, and he is a much happier baby.) He is burping pretty well now, but he is my first spitter-upper baby. I always have a burp rag on hand, and we both usually have a wet spot after a feeding.
He takes a bottle on Sundays from Dad at church, and one from a friend who babysat on Thursday night for Collin's school program. As long as its warmed, he's been fine with it.
Ethan is a great sleeper, just like his older brothers. Unfortunately, his timing is a little off right now. We can't seem to get him to go to sleep until about 11pm. But after that 11 o'clock feeding, he always sleeps until at least 5:30-6am. I can't complain about the sleep I'm getting, I know.
After I feed him about 6am, he naps again for a long while. I always have to wake him to run errands or get his brothers to school, but I think if I could get him to sleep earlier in the evening, I wouldn't always have to wake him at 9-ish to go places. Anyway, it's a work in progress to move up bed time.
During the day, he usually gets tired again about an hour after waking, This past week I've been able to get him to stay awake - and relatively happy - for about 90 minutes before his next nap. The last 30 minutes though I have/get to play tickle games, sing silly songs and let his brothers play with him. It's been fun to see more and more of his personality.
The big brothers are great with him, by the way. Collin and Brennan are very gentle, and they love to make him smile. Ethan loves his big brothers. He always tries to turn his head when he hears their voices, and they can always coax a big ear-to-ear grin out of him.
Ethan only sleeps in a swing, day and night. We've tried the bassinet, but he chokes on his spit-up. At his two-month checkup (not until January) I'm going to talk to the doctor about acid reflux. He HATES laying on his back, and he spits up EVERY time we lay him on his back or tummy (even diaper changes). He has to be inclined, like in the swing. In fact, we now have THREE swings, so we can have one in each location of the house; two we've borrowed from friends. Thank you guys!
Other than that, he cries himself to sleep, just like Collin did. As soon as I figured that out, my life got a lot less stressful. Rocking him and holding him and singing to him while he shrieked his head off was killing me, just as it did when Collin was a baby. Then I figured out that if I swaddled (only lightly; he hates tight swaddling) him and put him in his swing, he'd only cry for a minute or two and then go right to sleep. Success! I guess some of my babies just need a good cry before sleeping. Whatever works.
He doesn't take a pacifier, despite our constant pushing. He'll suck on it for a moment sometimes, but usually he pushes back with his tongue and gags on it. We got another stubborn one on our hands. Silly boys.
HOLDING
Ethan is pretty happy on his own during the daytime, but evenings are another story. About the time the big boys go to bed (7pm), he gets really fussy. Does he know he can now have our undivided attention!? In the evenings he makes up for his easy daytime temperament by crying a lot. We pretty much hold him until bedtime at 11pm.
But Ethan doesn't like to be held laying down in your arms. I know all the picture books show mommies holding their babies that way, but Ethan really only likes to be held upright. He likes to lay cuddled up against our chests. I think it's the constant gas and spit-up problems. Anyway, sometimes he'll lay across your thighs on his back, as long as he's pretty tired and you sway your legs from side to side. Sometimes nothing calms him down until you stand up with him. I've heard of other babies wanting to be held while you stand, but this is our first. It makes for some uncomfortable tv watching in the evenings.
I sadly have to admit that this is my first baby I've enjoyed cuddling so much with. Collin screamed for the first six months, and I cried most of those months too. My first baby was rough. Then I was too blasted busy when Brennan was a baby (they were only two years apart) to just hold and cuddle with him. He didn't like cuddling anyway. But now with Ethan, I just hold him and kiss him and play with him... whenever I can. Collin and Brennan, even though they fight a lot, really do love playing with each other. They are great buddies, and it definitely gives me more time for cuddles with the baby.
Love you, my Ethan-baby! Don't get any bigger, little one. I want you to be my baby forever.
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